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FiiO FT1 PRO vs HIFIMAN SUNDARA Comparison Review

January 8, 2025 9 Min Read
ByChris - Mr.Headphoneer

The $299 Hifiman Sundara has long been a benchmark amongst planar magnetic headphones in its price range. It first was introduced in 2018, with a slightly revised revision introduced in 2020. 

The $199 FiiO FT1 PRO was launched in late 2024 and is FiiO’s second planar magnetic full size headphone. It is similar in build and design to the highly praised dynamic driver closed-back FT1, but differs in two very significant ways: The PRO uses a planar magnetic driver and is an open-back construction. 

My full review of the Sundara can be found here

FIIO FT1 PRO SPECIFICATIONS

  • Driver: Planar magnetic
  • Impedance: 20 ohms
  • Sensitivity: 95 dB/mW @ 1 kHz
  • Headphone cable connector: dual 3.5 mm TRS
  • Weight: 375 grams / 9.4 oz
  • Detachable cables with 3.5mm connectors on headphones 

Current price and availability: 

HIFIMAN SUNDARA SPECIFICATIONS 

  • Drivers: Planar magnetic, single-sided magnets
  • Impedance: 37 ohms 
  • Sensitivity: 94 dB/mW
  • Weight: 372 grams / 9.4 oz
  • Detachable cables with 3.5mm connectors on headphones 

Current price and availability: 

BUILD, COMFORT, AND TECHNICALITIES 

Both the FT1 PRO and the Sundara are well built with mostly metal housing and yokes. I find them both comfortable, but the Sundara has very little swivel action, as opposed to the FT1 PRO. The Sundara has a headband strap; the FT1 PRO relies on scarce padding. Personally, I find it perfectly comfortable, but I know some users add a strap. Both the FT1 PRO and the Sundara can use 100 mm pads (or slightly larger) with standard lip mounting, although you need the adapter rings for the Sundara. Third-party pads with built in adapter rings are also widely accessible for the circular classic HiFiMan headphones; all fit the Sundara.

LISTENING COMPARISONS

Associated equipment: 

I used third-party soft memory foam sheepskin pads on the Sundara and the original pads on the FT1 PRO. 

Aquela Muhler by Vinicius Cantuaria 

Both sound excellent, offering a nicely balanced and highly enjoyable listening experience with good extension at both ends. However, the FT1 PRO stands out with slightly better instrument separation, even better bass texture, and a crisper presentation. The Sundara is smoother, warmer, and has a nice timbre to the mids and highs. 

Jambi by Tool 

The vocals are more upfront with the FT1 PRO, which sounds a bit crisper in general. The Sundara is not very different but somewhat lusher. 

Golden Age by Beck

The FT1 PRO features a crisper, drier tonality, with a sound that feels slightly more open and less laid-back. In contrast, the Sundara offers a smoother presentation, though overall, they have much in common. 

Summer 3 Vivaldi Recomposed by Max Richter 

The FT1 PRO feels technically somewhat better with better separation and imaging, but the Sundara has a seductive tonality, lusher and smoother. 

New Life Baby Paris by Mala 

Here they are quite similar. They both have impressive bass performances. The Sundara is again slightly smoother, the FT1 PRO crisper and drier. 

Rocket Man by Bob James Trio 

Both deliver seriously impressive bass quality and are nicely balanced in their sound. Unsurprisingly the Sundara offers a smoother, more rounded presentation, while the FT1 PRO provides a crisper and rawer experience.

Lazarus by David Bowie

The two are quite similar overall. The FT1 PRO offers slightly more bass presence and presents a drier, crisper, and somewhat rawer sound. In contrast, the Sundara again delivers a smoother, more lush presentation with softer edges.

Come Away With Me by Norah Jones 

Again, the Sundara is smoother and lusher, the FT1 PRO crisper, drier, and sharper. They both sound quite neutral, though, and the differences are not huge. 

WRAPPING IT UP 

Sound Signature

I find both headphones to be pretty neutral sounding, but they lean in different directions. Comparing the two, the Sundara is lusher and smoother, the FT1 crisper and brighter. 

Treble

The FT1 PRO is edgier sounding in the treble region with more bite and attack; it is crisper but not necessarily clearer. The Sundara is smoother and less articulate but does not feel like it is missing out on detail and nuance. 

Midrange

Also in the midrange, the FT1 PRO tends to be more articulate in a crisper and brighter way. Sometimes the difference is small; sometimes it is very apparent. The FT1 PRO also here has more bite, while the Sundara is smoother and sounds a bit more organic. 

Bass

While both have great bass quality, I think the FT1 PRO is even better than the Sundara in the lower regions. On my setup it has both a bit better bass definition and also more presence than the already good Sundara. 

Soundstage and Imaging 

Due to its brighter character, the FT1 PRO has a more open soundstage than the mellower-sounding Sundara. When it comes to imaging, however, I find them to be very equal, maybe with the Sundara offering better image depth. This can in my experience depend on the amplification used, though. 

Detail, Dynamics, and Timbre

Generally, I find them pretty comparable when it comes to detail, but they are not equal all across the frequency spectrum. The bass is more detailed with the FT1 PRO, the midrange is somewhat similar, and the treble feels more nuanced with the Sundara, while having more bite and attack with the FT1 PRO. 

When it comes to dynamics, the FT1 PRO tends to feel more energetic than the Sundara. However, I must add that in my experience, if you put gobs of power behind the Sundara, it can really become a dynamic beast. 

With regards to timbre, I personally find the Sundara to sound more organic and effortless, although they are both quite neutral, and once my brain has adjusted, I don’t really feel bothered by the tonality of the FT1 PRO at all. I also tested it out on my (very expensive) WA22 transformer-coupled tube amplifier, and this made it sound sweeter without losing detail in any way. 

CONCLUSION 

The FiiO FT1 PRO is a strong contender when compared to the Hifiman Sundara, offering a compelling alternative. It has better bass, a more open soundstage, and generally better dynamics. The Sundara, on the other hand, offers sweeter highs and lusher mids. Personally, I mostly prefer the tonality of the latter, but can easily imagine others preferring the FT1 PRO. Nonetheless, they are both great alternatives and the FT1 PRO, being significantly more aggressively priced, certainly comes out as the better value option. 

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Written By

Chris founded The Headphoneer in 2013 after spending years going down the rabbit hole of searching for the perfect high fidelity headphones. Having gained experience with lots of gear and spent way too much time discussing on online forums he wanted to write the reviews he rarely encountered: Thorough reviews with lots of comparisons. This was also a way of putting his growing collection of gear to use for the benefit of humanity.